If your bad knees and the falling and limping have caused even more damage to hips or ankles make sure you get a doctor to diagnose that the additional problems were most likely caused by the injuries received while in service. I screwed up both of my ankles in service the limping eventually affected my right knee and yes I fall a lot. Last year about this time a fell again, this time directly onto my bad right knee driving my femur directly into the hip socket. My doctor at the VA immediately gave a diagnosis that my hip problem was a direct result of falling due to my already approved service connected knee injury.Looon wrote:It's a constant battle. I had problems with my knees when I was booted out on a medical. I told them that I had problems with my knees and the Army and the VA ignored me and my knee problem. Over there years since then, I have applied numerous times to get a rating on knees. Every time I was told there wasn't sufficient evidence and was denied.
I had to 'retire' from construction in '04 because I physically couldn't do it no more. All of my issues played apart in my decision, but my knees were the biggest reason. There are times that my wife has to help me up and down off of the fucking toilet. I also take a lot of falls every year due to my knees and my ankles. One of these times I won't get back up.
Fast forward to a two years ago: I reapplied here in Iowa to get a rating on my knees. They denied me again, but this time I filed an appeal and was granted a hearing. Guess fucking what? the evidence was there all along. They either ignored it or just didn't fucking care because they were too lazy to actually go through my file. All of the documentation is there and it is overfuckingwhelming in my favor.
I can barely walk anymore and have a prescribed cane that I use when it gets bad.
I am now waiting to hear what kind of rating they are going to give me on both of my knees. It's taken me 19 years to get to this point, just for my knees.
I don't want or care about the monetary benefits. I just want them to acknowlege that my knees are fucked up from my time in service so I don't have to pay out of pocket if I end having to have surgery in the future.....which I have already been told is highly probable.
Fight, fight, fight.....
Soon I will be receiving a hip replacement through the VA and after completing the physical therapy and recovery the will then replace the knee. Additionally, I hate to admit it but due to not being able to get around very well for more than a few years I put on some much unneeded weight. The VA has a strict policy for joint replacement...BMI has to be under 35. I have achieved that and more and will continue to be a lesser volume man and get back to proper condition.
When I first received my disability rating for the ankle it was 10% but was subsequently raised to 20% for multiple Osteoarthritis joints. Get what you are owed.